Shipping and dispensing carton



Aug. 9, 1966 T. FARQUHAR SHIPPING AND DISPENSING CARTON 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 13%., 11, 1964 INVENTOR W52 V/LLE Z751 lFQU/ffll? ATTORNEYS g- 9, 1956 M. "r. FARQUHAR 3,265,283

SHIPPING AND DISPENSING CARTON Filed Dec. 11, 1964 :5 sheets-sheet? INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Aug'. 9, 1966 M. T. FARQUHAR 3,265,283

SHIPPING AND DISPENSING CARTON Filed Dec. 11, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Eg&.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY8 United States Patent 3,265,283 SHIPPING AND DISPENSING CARTON Melville T. Farquhar, Bon Air, Va., assignor to Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 417,598 6 Claims. (Cl. 229-7) This invention relates to an improved carton for shipping and dispensing articles, and more particularly to a case or carton of fibreboard or similar stock having novel dispensing flap means whereby articles such as cans may be readily dispensed singly as desired from the carton.

Articles such as canned goods are commonly shipped in fully enclosed cartons containing a single tier of twelve or twenty-four cans. Especially with canned beverages, it is frequently desirable to have some convenient means of withdrawing cans singly fromthe carton for consumption or refrigeration. With conventional cart-on constructions, however, the several closure flaps thereof are tightly sealed and require the use of an opening instrument or a relatively difficult manual tearing of the relatively stiff carton board to gain access to the carton contents.

While efforts have been made to provide cartons of the instant character having flap openings through which single articles may be removed, such cantons have been found unacceptacle in providing an insufiicient access opening to the containers to be removed, or once opened, the dispensing aperture provided permits the cans to roll or fall therefrom by gravity, which is manifestly undesirable.

"It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a shipping and dispensing carton wherein individual cans may be readily removed therefrom as desired.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dispensing flap arrangement in a carton containing a single tier of articles such as canned goods which provides easy access to the contents, yet which positively prevents inadvertent discharge or spilling of cans from the carton.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a carton of the instant character which is exceedingly simple in construction and requires no alteration of conventional carton fabrication techniques other than to provide additional means for effecting a desired score-and-slit pattern defining an especially configured dispensing flap on adjacent carton panel portions.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective elevation of a sealed carton of the invention.

FIGURE 2 1s a perspective elevation with the dispensing flap thereof open for access and removal of the contents.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation through the sealed carton of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a carton as shown in FIGURE 2, the displaced outline of a can during removal being shown in dotted lines.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of the carton with the dispensing flap opened.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a carton blank embodying the instant invention.

FIGURE 7 is a fragment of a blank showing the appearance of the flap therein in opened condition.

Referring to the drawings, the-re is shown in FIGURE 1 a sealed fibreboard shipping carton 10 shaped from the blank of FIGURE 6, conventionally including side panels 12, end walls 14, and suitably lapped and secured glue flaps 16 forming composite top and bottom panels. One

Patented August 9, i966 end panel 14 is similarly formed by lapped and secured panels 14a, 14b as seen in FIGURE 6, which may have provided thereon suitable handhold-forming score patterns 18 to facilitate carrying of the filled carton. The forward end panel 14 as seen in the drawings is integrally connected with side panels 12 along fold lines 20 and which along with panel '12 are of uniform single stock thickness.

The carton :10 is in overall general respects similar to other dispensing cartons on the order of those shown in US. patents to Painter 2,868,431, Johnson 3,066,843 and Gauld 3,002,651. The instant invention, however, incorporates specific novel features rendering the same more practical and eflicient in actual use than the broadly comparable carton structures of these prior art constructions.

With more particularity, end wall 14 is provided with a dispensing flap 22 defined by a potential line of separation 24 of substantially an inverted U configuration, and by the bottom crease line 38. The separation line 24 extends the full width of panel 14 and also embraces a portion of the respective adjacent side panels 12, 12 as clearly seen in the drawings, to define substantially triangular ear portions 26, 26 on the dispensing flap 22. More particularly, the separation line 24 includes an arcuate slit 28 on the end wall 114 midway thereof from the side creases 20, 20. On either side of slit 28 extend horizontally a line of perforations 30. The perforation line 30 extends past the side crease lines 20 of the end panel 14, at which locales the carton stock is fully slit, and thence dolwnwardly and rearwardly on side panels 12 as best seen in FIG- URE 6 to connect with shallow U-shaped slits 62. The lowermost ends of the slits 32 merge into a further line of perforations 34 extending downwardly and forwardly which are also fully slit in rerounding the corners 20 of the fold lines, the perforations 34 thence merging into short downwardly turned fully severed slits 36 which terminate adjacent the bottom edge crease line 38 of the carton.

The line of separation 24 as set forth thereby defines retaining tab portions 49 at the opposite corner edges of end panel 14 and beneath liap 22, which contribute materially to the ease in handling and dispensing of containers such as cans C from the carton 10. The tab portions 40, as will be noted, remain integral with the carton at the side creases 20 and bottom crease 38.

The vertical height of the dispensing flap 22 between the top edges of tab portions 49 and slit 28 is preferably slightly in excess of the width or diameter of an article such as a can or bottle packed in the carton 10.

Thus, when it is desired to gain access to the carton contents, it is only necessary to initially press inwardly upon the panel portion 14 at 28a within the arcuate cut 28 and thereby grasp the top edge of the flap portion 22. Thereafter a forward pulling movement exerted on the flap 22 will rupture the perforation lines 30, pass easily about the side creases 20 of the carton by virtue of the short slits therearound, further easily tear along the down- 'wardly directed extensions of line 30 on panels 12 until intersecting the fully-cut slits 32 defining the lateral limits of the flap, after which further pulling action will then readily rupture the perforated portions 34, thereby separating the flap 22 entirely from the carton body along U-shaped line 24, except for its integral juncture therewith along bottom crease line 38. Flap 22 is then downfolded to the position illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 4, whereby ready access maybe had to the cans C.

In this connection it will be noted that car portions 26 of the flap 22 torn from side panels 12 permit the thumb and forefinger to be readily placed about the ends of the cans C whereby the same may be easily grasped and pulled 3 from the carton with a slight upward motion as indicated by the dashed line in FIGURE 4. In the absence of the ear flaps as at 26, it will be appreciated that manual grasp of a container would be quite difficult or inconvenient by virtue of the normally snug packing of the cans within the carton.

Further, tab portions 40 have an important function in the improved and desirable attributes of the carton of this invention. In particular, cans C cannot inadvertently spill or discharge as by gravity from the carton inasmuch as the integrally connected and therefore relatively rigid tab portions 40 act as a positive stop or retainer against the lateral end chimes or edges of the can. As the height of flap 22, however, is approximately equal to the diameter of a packaged container, and preferably slightly in excess thereof, it will also be seen that upon manual grasping of the can C about its ends followed by slight lifting thereof, the leading can C may be readily withdrawn from the carton 10 over the retaining tab portions 40, as indicated in dashed lines in FIGURE 4.

While the vertical height of flap 22 must be at least as great as the normal diameter of a container within the carton, it is equally significant that the effective vertical extent of the flap opening 22 be less than about one and one-half times the diameter of the packaged cylindrical articles. This is for the reason that if the arcuate slit 28 were disposed substantially midway of the diameter of the second highest can in the carton, difficulty would be experienced in manually pressing the flap portion 28a inwardly to grasp the flap 22, inasmuch as the can side wall would be immediately therebehind in contact with the flexing portion 28a of the flap and thereby block inward movement thereof. In the embodiment illustrated, it will be noted that the topmost extremity of flap 22 along the separation line 24 is approximately one and one-quarter times the diameter of the can, and therefore portion 28a is located in the normal somewhat triangular gap present between adjacent cylindrical articles such as bottles or cans, whereby ample space is provided for inward flexing of 28a in opening flap 22.

A further feature of the separation line pattern 24 resides in the provision of short, fully severed slits in the stock material where the separation line departs from a straight line path and undergoes a major change in direction as at 32, or about a relatively sharp corner, as at 20. Thus, while facilitating easy opening, the remaining partially perforated portions 30, 34 retain sufficient strength so as to prevent accidental rupture and separation of the flap 22 under weight of the contents.

Further, in providing the novel flap 22 in an end panel 14, the carton may be conveniently readily stored on end as seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, rather than placed flat upon the floor as is necessary with conventional cartons which must be torn open at the top sealed flaps thereof.

While I have described my improved shipping and dispensing carton in connection with articles such as beverage cans C, it will be readily appreciated that the concept thereof is equally applicable to cylindrical glass containers, or other articles wherein it is desirable to dispense the same singly from a carton thereof as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

Further, the novel and improved dispensing flap construction of the invention may be readily incorporated into shipping or packing containers of other than conventional rectangularconfigurations as desired Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Dispensing means for a shipping carton containing a plurality of articles wherein said carton includes an end panel having side panels and a bottom panel integrally connected thereto along side and bottom crease lines,

a manually rupturable line of separation of generally inverted U-configuration extending upwardly from said bottom crease line and embracing therewithin the adjacent portion of said end panel and said side panels adjacent said side crease lines, thereby to define with said bottom crease line a dispensing flap,

said line of separation including portions thereof on said end panel extending upwardly from said bottom crease line and inwardly of said side crease lines and thence outwardly toward and past said side crease lines, thereby to define a pair of spaced retaining tab portions on said end panel adjacent to said side and bottom crease lines and adjacent the lower outer edges of said flap,

whereby upon rupture of said separation line, said flap is freed for outward swinging movement about said bottom crease line to provide an access opening to said carton contents, and said retaining tab portions engage the cartoned articles adjacent said opening to prevent undesired spillage of said articles from said carton.

2. The carton of claim 1 wherein said line of separation defining each said side panel portion of said flap extends downwardly and rearwardly from a point on each crease line merging into an arcuately curved portion, and thence from said arcuate portion downwardly and forwardly to another point on each side crease line, thereby to define substantially triangular side panel flap portions wherein the separation line therefor at all points is downwardly directed, whereby the dispensing flap is readily manually separated from the carton side panels by a downward pulling action.

3. The carton of claim 1 wherein said line of separation is fully slit along all curved and nonlinear portions thereof to insure that the separated flap follows the line of separation during tear separation thereof from said panels.

4. Dispensing means for a shipping carton containing a plurality of cylindrical articles in a single layer tier, said carton including an end panel disposed in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axes of said articles, and having side panels and a bottom panel integrally connected to said end panel along side and bottom crease lines,

a manually rupturable line of separation of generally inverted U-configuration extending upwardly from said bottom crease line and embracing therewithin the adjacent portion of said end panel and said side panels adjacent said side crease lines, thereby to define with said bottom crease line a dispensing flap,

said line of separation including portions thereof on said end panel extending upwardly from said bottom crease line and inwardly of said side crease lines and thence outwardly toward and past said side crease lines, thereby to define a pair of spaced retaining tab portions on said end panel adjacent said side and bottom crease lines and adjacent the lower outer edges of said flap,

whereby upon rupture of said separation line, said flap is freed for outward swinging movement about said bottom crease line to provide an access opening to said car-ton contents, whereby upon manual withdrawal of articles from said carton, the next succeeding article may roll toward said opened flap and into engagement with said retaining tab portions thereby to be positioned for easy manual withdrawal from the carton and restrained by said retaining tab portions from free spillage therefrom.

5. The carton of claim 4 wherein the vertical dimension of said flap along said end panel is greater than the diameter of a cylindrical contoured article, and less than one and one-half times the diameter of said articles.

6. A shipping and dispensing carton for articles, said carton having side, end and top and bottom panels, one of said end panels and said side panels adjacent thereto being of substantially uniform single thickness, a line of separation extending transversely of said end panel and extending into each said Side panel to embrace a portion thereof with said line thereafter reentering said end panel References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1921 Horr 206-44.l2 X 5/1934 Einson 206-4531 X Zimmerman et a1.

206-4412 X Schmidt et al 229-51 Rossum 206-4412 X Painter 229-51 Gauld 206-56 X Johnson 229-17 Ellis et al 229-17 X JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. DISPENSING MEANS FOR A SHIPPING CARTON CONTAINING A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES WHEREIN SAID CARTON INCLUDES AN END PANEL HAVING SIDE PANELS AND A BOTTOM PANEL INTEGRALLY CONNECTED THERETO ALONG SIDE AND BOTTOM CREASE LINES, A MANUALLY RUPTURABLE LINE OF SEPARATION OF GENERALLY INVERTED U-CONFIGURATION EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM CREASE LINE AND EMBRACING THEREWITHIN THE ADJACENT PORTION OF SAID END PANEL AND SAID SIDE PANELS ADJACENT SAID SIDE CREASE LINES, THEREBY TO DEFINE WITH SAID BOTTOM CREASE LINE A DISPENSING FLAP, SAID LINE OF SEPARATION INCLUDING PORTIONS THEREOF AN SAID END PANEL EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM CREASE LINE AND INWARDLY OF SAID SIDE CREASE LINES AND THENCE OUTWARDLY TOWARD AND PAST SAID SIDE CREASE 